Cindy Tumiel: Income and stress levels

Back in my college days, a sociology professor once engaged my class in a discussion over which was a greater ill — too much money or not enough money? I don’t think we ever resolved the question from a sociological standpoihnt.

But from a psychological standpoint, not enough money is more stressful, according to researchers from Carnegie Melon University who measured the levels of three stress-related hormones in people from various socio-economic groups.

The study involved 193 adults with annual incomes ranging from $2,500 to $162,500. People from lower socio-economic levels had higher measurements of epinephrine, norephinephrine and cortisol, researchers reported in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. The association was independent of race, age, sex or weight.

Lower socio-economic status was also linked to greater incidence of smoking, not eating breakfast and having a less diverse social network, all of which strengthened the link between income and stress hormone levels.